Fuck the Facts

Disgorge Mexico

Having never heard Canada’s Fuck the Facts before, I was ready to lump them in with the hardcore crowd based on their name, while at the same time the album title set me up to believe that it was going to be a piss take on the brutal death metal genre. Now that I’ve heard the band’s latest and oddly titled album, Disgorge Mexico, I’m not entirely sure how to classify the band suffice it to say that they are rooted in grindcore with a variety of different styles and influences at their disposal.

That the band seems to have derived their moniker from the John Zorn (Naked City) song of the same name appears to be no coincidence as their music is eclectic, surprising and diverse with smatterings of the avant-garde, hardcore, doom/sludge, with the occasional toe dipped into the jazz pool as well. On paper this mixture of ideas and influences all set atop a grindcore underpinning might sound like a complete mess but, on the contrary, Disgorge Mexico is actually a very coherent and interesting album to listen to. It’s probably true that the direction the band has taken here may not be strictly original, but their implementation of it is the most well orchestrated I’ve heard in some time, if at all.

In keeping with the theme of the unusual, Fuck the Facts are led on vocals by Mel Mongeon whom I would never have guessed to be female had I not done a little bit of research on the band. Previous experience has led me to believe that a big deal is often made when a band of this nature has a female vocalist, generally because they are female and not because of the quality of their vocals. Intended or not, that Fuck the Facts make no special mention of Mongeon and her gender at all is something that I really appreciated. I don’t want to harp on it too much, only to state that Mongeon is the real deal here and not a token “chick”. She pulls her weight behind the mike with skill, giving many of her male contemporaries a run for their money.

In addition to the strong outing on vocals, the rest of the band are at the top of their game with each and every member bringing something to the table like the guitars that effortlessly morph from blistering grindcore riffs into avant-garde ditties or the drums that hold and keep the musical chaos in a solid and cohesive unit. None of these things would mean a damn if the production was sub par and thankfully the band has delivered a strong, clear and powerful sound befitting the material on offer.

What Fuck the Facts have done on Disgorge Mexico is exactly what I would like to see more bands doing in the grindcore genre, or any other genre for that matter. This is a band that isn’t afraid to follow their musical ideas – whatever they may be – and as a result both their material and we the listeners reap the rewards. Sure, there’s no denying it, by taking a route like this bands do run the risk of falling on their faces, but shouldn’t it always be about pushing yourself as a musician to try new things regardless of the outcome? Sadly this is not an approach many acts take but Fuck the Facts have done it and the high quality release that Disgorge Mexico is the final result.